House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 49% of the vote.
National Defence June 7th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing the CF-18s. As I stated, they should have been replaced a long time ago. Maybe the hon. member should have been asking the questions when they were in government.
The capability gap took place in front of us, and in 2025, the CF-18s will not be able to fly, and it is important that we move very quickly in filling this capability gap.
National Defence June 7th, 2016
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the CF-18 will be extended to 2025. We do need replacements. They should have been replaced a long time ago. We have to start the process soon because our fighters have been flying for some time. They should have been replaced.
More capability gaps have been created, just like in the shipbuilding program.
National Defence June 7th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, we should have replaced those fighters long before, so we did not even have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on extending the program. It has been close to 30 years that we have been flying these airplanes.
Our men and women deserve the right equipment, and our government will deliver on that.
National Defence June 7th, 2016
As I stated before, Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing our CF-18s because it is long overdue. They should have been replaced a long time ago.
In terms of meeting officials from various companies, the hon. member should also know that on our trip to Singapore the CEO of Lockheed was actually with us at that conference. I met with her and sat with her at that table as well.
Questions on the Order Paper May 30th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, the addition of the maple leaves and gold bar as sleeve rank will bring the Canadian Army general officers into harmony with the rank insignia of the flag officers of the Royal Canadian Navy and general officers of the Royal Canadian Air Force with whom they share senior military leadership responsibilities.
The change to one convention of rank insignia amongst general officers and flag officers will lessen the chance of confusion for Canadians and our international allies.
In response to part (b), the commander of the Canadian Army made a presentation to the chief of the defence staff regarding the merit of the proposed changes.
Regarding part (c), the Canadian Army has not formally documented instances of confusion by Canadian Armed Forces soldiers or allied officers regarding the current rank insignia in a manner that would allow it to be presented as evidence. That said, there have been instances where the rank of Canadian Army generals was not immediately identifiable by military personnel.
In terms of part (d)(i), the Minister of National Defence, the chief of the defence staff, the Canadian Army staff, and personnel in the directorate of history and heritage were consulted on the proposed change.
In response to part (d)(ii), consultations were held through a presentation and discussion of options.
In terms of part (d)(iii), the three options included: status quo, or no change; use of the pip instead of the maple leaf in the 1968-2013 system; and use of three alternative maple leaf metal designs.
Regarding part (e), there are 56 general officers in the Canadian Army who wear the Canadian Army general officer uniform in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Regarding part (f), the cost of issuing each of the 56 general officers in the Canadian Army with the new metal ranks for one existing service dress uniform is estimated at approximately $6,000. It is important to note that the move to a metal pin-on rank insignia on the shoulders of general officers eliminates the expense of embroidering the ranks on replacement shoulder straps, creating cost savings.
Finally, in response to part (g), the Canadian Army has not established measures of effectiveness for this initiative.
National Defence May 17th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the pictures the member is talking about are from the visit the chief of the defence staff made to Iraq. During that time, there were pre-approved interviews and pre-approved photos that were published. That was done with the utmost safety of our members in mind.
The difference that the member talks about is no politician was on this trip, and those pictures previously were not authorized by the Canadian Armed Forces to be released.
National Defence May 17th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to announce my intention to restore full university status to the Royal Military College Saint-Jean.
It is a good day for bilingualism in Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces. I look forward to working with the Province of Quebec to make this happen.
Business of Supply May 16th, 2016
Mr. Chair, we have six stakeholder meetings with experts from across Canada. MPs are also holding their own. We have added a few additional ones, especially with the first nations community where we have a nation-to-nation consultation.
We will also be looking at it along gender lines as well. We are broadening the scope as we realized there were a few gaps. This needs to be broad. Canadians need to have a say because at the end of the day, we do need to decide what type of Canadian Armed Force are needed for the future.
I want to assure all the members here and Canadians that the defence review is just that, it is to make sure that we have the right type of force with the right type of capability to be able to respond to all the various threats across the world, from full-on high-intensity conflicts, which will always be the staple of training, to where we need the full-on will of government, and wherever there will also be potentially true traditional peacekeeping operations, but we will be involved internationally in making sure that we help our coalition partners provide stability where it is desperately needed in the world.
Business of Supply May 16th, 2016
Mr. Chair, I thank the member for his presentation.
The defence review will be completed by the end of this year. We have started our consultations with experts and members of Parliament have done their own. We are seeing a significant amount of interest on our website as well. We want to make sure that our defence review is broad and thorough and that Canadians from across the nation have an opportunity to have a say, and in particular, our international partners as well.
I have already started my engagement with my international partners personally with my counterparts and also with my officials as well.
Business of Supply May 16th, 2016
Mr. Chair, as I stated, I have inherited some of the capability gaps. In terms of the CF-18, it is on a separate track from the defence review, and we are making sure we move on this as quickly as possible. My department is working very closely with the Minister of Public Services and Procurement to rectify this, and I hope to be able to move this process along efficiently and quickly, so that we have aircraft that can suit the needs of our men and women in the air force.